


Resist and Bite

by Ekevka



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Gen, Not Beta Read, Right after Alderaan's destruction, Threat of Asphyxiation, daemon AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23844721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ekevka/pseuds/Ekevka
Summary: Leia knows she cannot yet attack - but her daemon cannot care less
Relationships: Leia Organa & Wilhuff Tarkin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Resist and Bite

It was as if something went out in Leia’s chest. Something she was not aware was there at all, and now it was gone -  _ and the men who ordered it haven’t blinked an eye! _

She could contain her grief, for there was still hope, but Tia couldn’t. Or wouldn’t.

The she-hawk moved for Tarkin’s daemon, the orange feline half his height. Leia almost wanted to do the same, jump on Tarkin himself now that Vader’s hand seemed to slack, but this was not the way to go. Not yet, anyway...

“Tia! Stop!” she cried, not making a move to get her daemon off the feline’s head.

Tarkin himself closed his eyes in obvious pain, surprisingly not inhuman enough to pry her daemon himself.

And then she felt her daemon - her soul, her  _ very soul _ ! - be squeezed. Tia tried to cry but made no sound - there was no air in her lungs, none at all, and now Leia felt the same.

Tia fell - or rather, almost did, for Tarkin’s daemon had caught her and was it a growl, or was Leia already having troubles hearing?

“Let her go, Vader!” Tarkin said almost absentmindedly.

Leia wished for Vader’s hand to go off her, but instead she could breathe again. She opened her eyes - she couldn’t tell when she closed them - and could see Tia fly out of the feline's paws. She couldn’t fly far, had to catch her breath the same as Leia did, but the feline stayed put. 

“Lead her to her cell,” Tarkin ordered, not letting his eyes off Vader.

And he wasn’t even making a move to help his daemon, who was bleeding - now that Leia could concentrate, she could see several small cuts where Tia went for the eyes and missed, - yet both Tarkin and his daemon looked as if nothing was amiss.

Every Imperial and their daemon looked as if nothing was amiss.

Leia looked at Tia, who still couldn’t catch her breath.

“Can I bring my daemon?” she asked and almost hated herself for how timid it sounded.

Almost, because in the circumstances it could be allowed: she was not a robot.

“Yes, of course,” Tarkin replied, all courtesy now that Alderaan was gone.

Leia had to bite her cheek not to cry. She went to pick up her poor daemon, feeling her tremble and had to bite hard enough to taste blood. It would have to do for now.

“We are sorry for your loss,” came a whisper.

Leia turned to her right and almost bumped into Tarkin’s daemon, who, likely because it was a cat and thus curious, came close enough to check on Tia.

And, apparently whisper something none of the Imperials would ever admit outloud.

She had to get out of here.

She had to.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to do something with daemons for quite some time, but so far only this came to be.  
> The idea of a daemon being openly against the actions of their human was planted by 'three for a girl' by Emamel (https://archiveofourown.org/works/22981954) - not exactly an inspiration, thus this rec being in the end notes, but go check it and the whole series out, it's pretty great!


End file.
